A Modern Fairy Tale
by Lusia
Summary: Lenalee has always longed for an adventurous life,so when a mysterious phantom saves her from an akuma,she thinks her wish is being granted.But life is no fairy tale.She soon realizes that she has been living a lie and that she isnt who she thinks she is.
1. Entry 1

_Friday, December 18. 11:15 a.m. Weather is Snowy and Windy. _

Moving to New York City must have been the worst decision I have made in my entire life. I left all of my friends, my memories, and experiences behind in sunny California and ended up in this busy, smelly city of New York. Living expenses are ridiculously high, college is horribly boring, and Komui (my overprotective brother) seems to be extremely distracted and cranky since we arrived. It gives me migraines, even as I write.

I moved here because I was accepted into a prestigious private school in Manhattan. Komui objected deeply, to the point where I began to be suspicious whether he had an ancient feud with the state of New York. I don't know why. But honestly, New York City is way better than the suburbs in the middle of the desert where we were living in Southern California. The weather is lovely in the east coast at least. I love the rain. But I don't know how I'm going to live without my friends, who were practically my family since my parents died. But I've managed to survive through a whole semester of college as a freshman.

I am currently on winter break. I'm usually giddy with the expectation of Christmas by this time of the year, but I feel nothing right now. No glee, no expectations, no nothing. I'm just not looking forward to a Christmas without anyone to share it with, save my irritable brother, in a foreign land. I received excellent marks for my first semester in college, which was surprising since I never was the exceptional student. But I'm not complaining. So I'm relaxing, free from my brother's usual tirade about studying. Getting good grades does have its advantages. No nagging from older siblings.

I saw and felt snow for the first time when I came to New York. California does not have the luxury of snow. I fell in love with it at once. It's so much softer than I had imagined. I don't have friends close enough to go to the movies with or anything, so I am mostly cooped up at home after school, which is where I am right now, watching the snow land on my balcony.

It's also windy, as always. I wonder why God made it windy daily. It's howling like mad at the moment, rattling my windows and swaying trees. But I don't mind. I like the wind too. I love the feeling of the wind against my face. It's a great feeling. What's even better is that there is always, always wind around. When I told Komui once that I liked wind because you can always find some next to you, he laughed at me, saying the wind is around when it wants to be. But he's wrong. He must have some weird touch senses because I can always feel wind. Sometimes, I can even _see_ it. It's kind of scary sometimes. It feels like a whale is passing by at 70 mph. It's awesome.

Lately, some splitting headaches have been attacking my brain. This started about two months ago and it will not go away, to my extreme annoyance. I ought to drop by a doctor's office. I also have the strangest dreams in which in a faraway land, I am a warrior in the most beautiful village, loved and respected. But then, towards the end of the dream, I always see it burning. I feel a cold stab through my chest and headaches wake me. They are recurring and not very pleasant experiences. Sometimes, I dread going to sleep.

A letter lay forgotten on my bed which read importantly, "To the parents or guardians of Lenalee Lee." It contained my schedule for the Spring semester. I sighed, thinking about school again. School had dominated my entire short and sorry life. It's all I've been doing for the entire 18 years that I have been living. It had to get tiring somewhere along the way. Every day was the same. I got up in the morning, went to school, did homework, ate, slept and the next day, it repeated. Can you spell B-O-R-I-N-G? There's got to be more to this life than school.

Komui found a part-time job nearby. I hope he gets home soon. Right now, this journal is the only thing keeping me company.


	2. Entry 2

_Monday, December 21, 10:45 pm. Windy._

We may have a White Christmas this year. That's something new. I'm always looking for something different. Something that deviates from my routine of a life. Wonder if it's just me.

I'm dying of headaches right now. I think they're getting worse. I asked Komui to take me to see a doctor because I seem to be immune to painkillers (which is not surprising since I take several everyday) and he freaked out on me. What's his problem anyway? He seems very worried anyhow. Worried about everything, mostly me. I tell him regularly that I am doing perfectly fine, which may be a lie. I'm rather lonely. Being away from my friends has been really depressing me. I've been writing Christmas cards to them, you see.

I think I'm sick. I'm paler than usual, I've got dark circles below my eyes, my hair disheveled, hanging just above my sagging shoulders, and my frame is thinner. It's these headaches, I'm telling you. Strange headaches they are. Sometimes when I close my eyes to try to ease away the pain, images from my dream pop up. Sometimes happy, sometimes terrifying.

* * *

_Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve. 11:49 p.m. Windy, Snowy._

It's only barely snowing. Maybe a White Christmas was too much to ask for.

Today was agitating. I took a walk to the largest Barnes & Noble I had ever seen. I love to be in bookstores. Especially on snowy days, sitting quietly in a corner, sipping hot cappuccino, reading _The Grimm's Fairy Tales_ and wondering what my life would be like as Cinderella. The original version is radically different from the Disney's. It's worth reading.

But my peace was ruined. After 10 minutes of walking, I got an unsettling feeling that I was being watched. I thought it would go away once I went inside the bookstore, but it persisted. It was creepy, even amongst all the people who had come to do last minute Christmas shopping. I was poring over _The Thief Lord _when some kid came up to me and asked me who I was. What the heck? Who did that? I would have been more polite had he not said it with the most unpleasant expression of dislike plastered on his face. I simply shot him a look and went back to the book, self-conscious. I hated his type. Arrogant and rude. He could have at least bothered with an "Excuse me" or a "Hi, my name is …." I really wanted nothing to do with the twerp. But he dared to tap me with his snowy and muddy boot and asked me again,

"I said, who are you?" he demanded. I snapped.  
"Let me teach you something, moron. If you want to learn the name of a person, you introduce yourself first." I spat as menacingly as I could manage.

I waited for a reply, but all I got was that stupid scowl. I brushed past him to go sit somewhere else. The kid had to be no older than my age. He was a shady figure, clad in dark attire complete with a hood. I moved to the third floor of the bookstore and sat down in a comfortable chair. But I could still sense the idiot boy staring at me from somewhere. I wanted to report him, but what would I say? "Some kid is staring at me. Could you come arrest him please?" Even the thought sounded stupid in my head. It bothered me so much that I finally went looking for him, some hours later. (Yes, he was staring at me for two whole hours. Hasn't he got anything better to do?)

I found him leaning against the shelves of a remote section in the bookstore, his eyes closed. He opened them as I approached, looking as if he had been expecting me, the pompous brat. His eyes were as dark as the night. I was going to ask him if he liked me or something when he said,

"You can't hide forever."

"What?" I stared at him as if he were insane.

"You _know_ what." He drawled, frowning. Did he do anything _but _frown? I had no idea what he was going on about so I ignored it.

"Look, just stop stalking me alright? Stop staring at me. It's creepy." I said contemptuously.

All this time, he had not taken his eyes off me, and I started to wonder if coming to find him was the best idea. He stared at me like I was some kind of extinct species of animal never before seen. It was really creepy. I was about to run away when my cell phone rang. The sudden vibration in my pocket made me jump, nearly hitting my head against the bookshelves. It was Komui.

"Hello?" I answered with a shaky voice.

"Lenalee, where are you?! Do you know how horrified I was to come back to an empty home?!" Komui's voice rang in my ears. Oh _brother._

"Komui calm down. I'm on my way." I said, exasperated. With a last glare at the bastard, I stomped out. This was the worst Christmas Eve ever. To top it off, I got a major lecture from Komui once I got home. Tomorrow is Christmas, and it looks as if there will be a storm. The wind is unbelievable tonight. It must be as angry as I am. I hope it carries that kid from Barnes & Noble in a tornado and lands him in the middle of the Sahara Desert.


	3. Entry 3

_Friday, December 25. Christmas Day. 11:24 pm. Rainy._

I am at a loss. If I recounted the details of the phenomena that has befuddled me in the strange happenings that took place in my life today, you would not believe me. You would tell me I was dreaming fantasies and that I was living in a bubble of a sad fairy tale. I, in turn, would not be offended however, because it would be perfectly understandable. So here goes my tale of the worst and best Christmas ever.

I was a content (somewhat) and _normal_ 18-year-old college freshman until December 24. Right now, I am something called an _Exorcist _(in other words, not normal), and I found out that, (to my horror and extreme surprise) wind is not the daily forecast year-round, on earth. Notice how I haven't written "windy" in my weather heading above, next to the date of entry? NORMAL PEOPLE did not feel wind 24/7. I experienced a day without wind on my skin for the first time in my life, today. Because today, I can control the wind. Because today, I know I can control the wind. Allow me to explain.

Believe it or not, I saw the bastard from Barnes & Noble today. It was an unexpected and shocking coincidence (if such things exist), and it made me furious. I went to church with Komui today. Some lady at his work invited him because they were having a sort of celebration, as Christmas is Jesus Christ's birthday. So I decided to join Komui, since I had nothing else to do. We arrived at around 4 o'clock by car. Komui had bought one a month ago. It came in real handy. It had been snowing in the morning, but it turned to rain in the afternoon. And by 4:00, the sky was darker than ever. It was unusually dark and windy. It really looked like a storm was coming. But it had snowed overnight so we had a half White Christmas, I guess. A Gray Christmas if you prefer.

The church performed a skit presentation of the birth of Jesus Christ with the whole magi and manger and Mary and all those other M words. It was actually pretty entertaining. It took my mind off my persistent headaches. Komui agreed to take me to a hospital tomorrow.

The sermon was dragging a bit longer than I had hoped so I decided to grab a book in the car to enjoy through the message. I took Komui's car keys and stepped outside, and gasped. The wind was so cold and strong that it felt like someone had just slapped me across the face. I stumbled back indoors, but was determined to get that book. So I stupidly wobbled to the car, extremely slowly as I was being buffeted by the wind. The black clouds in the sky were shaped into a kind of vortex, moving slow and menacing.

I quickly reached the car, took the book out, locked it, and was about to turn around when I saw something in the distance. Something big and black and flying. I couldn't believe my eyes, so I didn't. But it looked like a man with wings, in the air. It was too far and too quick to make out, so I gave up and turned around to find someone standing right behind me. Startled out of my wits, I dropped my book in a puddle. It was a man. He was ghostly pale with yellow eyes and jet black hair. Tall and slim, he stepped forward and towered over me. I backed against the brick wall of the church.

'Okay,' I thought, 'I am going to be mugged and murdered. On Christmas. Outside a church.' I sighed inwardly at the irony of my situation. I looked around hopelessly to see if there was anyone to call out for help. Not a single soul out on the streets of a stormy weather. I cursed the weather. I looked at the man's face again. He was a tad too good-looking to be a mugger or a murderer, in my opinion, though he did look very scary. He was also dressed in a white shirt that was soaked to his skin and slacks. Nope. Not my typical image of a mugger or a murderer. But as I looked at his face, the pain in my head doubled and I flinched.

The man grinned wolfishly, revealing his too-white teeth and his too-sharp canines. Fangs were the only words for them.

"You smell…delicious." He said, hungrily licking his lips. I forgot how to breathe. In that moment, I forgot the cold, the rain, the book on the wet ground. In fact, my mind was blank. I couldn't think.

I stepped back again clumsily. I was now feeling the roughness of the bricks against my hands. I was terrified. This was not exactly my idea of an exciting and adventurous day. To my horror and revulsion, the man grabbed my shoulders so tightly I was sure he would leave bruises. Then he started lowering his head to my face, then to my neck, moving my wet, short hair out of the way. _Oh my god. He's going to bite me with those fangs. This cannot possibly be happening right now. What does he think he is, some sort of vampire?!_

I was petrified, utterly helpless. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the pain, perspiration mixed with rainwater running down my face. But none came. Instead, there came a noise that sounded horribly like a blade running through a body. At first I thought it was my body and that I had been stabbed somehow, but then the vampire freak's body slumped onto mine lifelessly and we both fell onto the ground.

I promptly shoved the body off me and noticed a pair of black boots in front of me. I followed the boots to find legs and then eventually I took in the whole figure of the person who was suddenly standing in front of me. The first thing I noticed was the wings on his back. Beautiful black wings. Was it him I saw in the distance just seconds ago? Then there were the two swords in his hands. They were as black as his wings and one of them was pierced through the murderer's heart. I had been saved by this stranger. I looked at the face of my savior and blanched. It was the boy from Barnes & Noble yesterday.

Again, he was dressed in black and was still wearing the same scowl. He looked livid. Without the hood over his head, I noticed that he had long flowing black hair which was currently drenched and fanning out behind him. His eyes were like the night sky speckled with stars. I also couldn't help noticing that the stupid kid was incredibly good looking. For some reason, his face seemed vaguely familiar.

He casually plucked the sword out of the dead man's body and then to my fury, pointed both his swords at my throat, at a speed faster than possible. He crossed them at the surface of my neck pinning both points into the brick on both sides of my neck, trapping me. The blades slid in the brick like butter. I swallowed hard, glancing at the blades at my throat. I glared at him. His expression was unfathomable. Before either of us could make another move, we heard footsteps from around the corner.

"Lenalee!" a panicked voice called. I was never more relieved to hear Komui. The phantom kid was gone in a second. It was like he vanished into thin air. Komui found me slumped against the wall, breathing heavily, looking for the vanishing phantom.

"Lena! What in the world are you doing, and what…what is this?" Komui's face paled and he froze after turning the dead body of the murderer over.

"What…" He was at a loss for words. So was I. Thunder broke the silence and the wind threatened to blow the church building away. Then I heard more hurried footsteps. Komui swiveled around to find four figures turning into the street we were on. Komui got up and tried to lift me up, but I was too drained to move a muscle. The four people moved into our view with rather concerned looks on their faces. Wearily I looked up. I had had enough encounters with strangers for a day.

They were 3 males and one female. They did not seem very frightened at this sudden and strange scene. The oldest one was tall with long, wild burgundy hair. He looked about thirty-ish. His eyes seemed to sparkle beneath his spectacles and he casually held a cigarette in his hand. He crouched beside me, placing a gloved hand across my forehead. I pulled away. He glanced at my brother, whose face was crumpled with distress. He seemed to be avoiding the man's eyes.

"Long time no see, Komui." The stranger spoke in a low voice. My eyes widened in astonishment. How did Komui know him?

"General." Komui said with a stiff nod.

"It really is Lena." A boy with snow-white hair and a scar through his left eye stared at me as if I were his long lost cousin or something.

"Yeah. It's your long lost cousin, Allen." The tall, lanky, red haired boy with an eye-patch next to him smiled. I nearly vomited. They've got to be joking.

"Ms. Lenalee…." A woman's voice. I looked up to see a pale woman with curly brown hair and teary eyes. She looked as if she might faint at any moment. She then regarded Komui. "Hello Mr. Komui." She said, wiping her eyes.

They were strangers alright. But they somehow looked familiar, like people I had seen in a dream, long long ago. This was how the phantom boy was like to me. They studied the dead man. I thought they were going to call the cops and report murder and I'd end up in jail. But they acted normally, as if they encountered things like this every day and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "vampire." Then a second later, the "vampire" disintegrated and vanished. I was too tired to show any shock.

"What happened here?" the so called General asked Komui.

"No idea. I came out to find her like this." Komui answered.

"Lenalee. Can you tell me what happened?" the General inquired.

"No." I said lamely. "I mean, I'm not too sure."

They stared. So I continued.

"The murd—the man that was just here…was…I think he was trying to kill me...by biting me to death." I stopped. I was starting to sound stupid. No doubt, they would think I was lying.

"That was no man, Lena. He was an akuma, disguised as a vampire." The General said. I laughed and waited for them to say, "Just kidding!" But their faces remained serious.

"A what?" I thought I heard wrong.

"Akuma...God…" Komui whispered. "Lena, did you kill it?" he asked, struggling to remain calm, squeezing the blood out of my hand.

"No. No of course not." I said quickly, "Someone was here. A boy. He had wings. He killed him."

They looked at each other nervously.

"This boy," the kid called Allen spoke, "Did he have long black hair?"

"…Yes. How did you know that?" I said hesitantly. Now they looked really nervous. What was going on? What did they know that I didn't?

"Look, will you tell me what is going on here? Who are you people? How do you know me and Komui?" I demanded.

The General stood suddenly and said, "We should get out of this rain. There is also something we have to do." He finished, casting a glance at the sky. Komui helped me up. The General held his hand out to me. I reluctantly shook it.

"I'm General Cross Marian, Lenalee. We have been acquainted for a long time, even if you may not remember it." He said with a smile. I didn't see how this was possible, but I nodded. "Oh yeah," he added, "Merry Christmas." This made me smile.

The only thing that was on my mind now was to get out of this freezing weather. The rest of the strangers introduced themselves to me as well. The white-haired boy was Allen Walker. He was my cousin, believe it or not. I asked Komui why he did not tell me of this relation, but he didn't answer me. The red haired boy with the eye patch was Lavi. He smiled a lot. I don't think he was taking this situation very seriously. The tearful woman was Miranda Lott and she has hugged me at least 8 times since I met her.

We took Komui's car back to our apartment. The living room looked completely different with six people in it. Here was where I got some answers.

These people were Exorcists, and were part of something called the Black Order. This Black Order has waged a war against the Millennium Earl who seeks to destroy humanity with his army of akuma, monstrous weapons created from the souls of the deceased. The Black Order has been searching the world for the 109 pieces of a divine substance called Innocence, which has been washed away during the Great Flood. Along with the Innocence, they were looking for people who can use anti-akuma weapons, which was the Innocence in its weaponized form. These people, called Exorcists, are able to effectively fight against and destroy the akuma.

But out of the many Exorcists the Order found, there were four in particular with the special power to manipulate the elements of nature: fire, water, earth and air. These four held great power that the Millennium Earl feared. Thus, approximately two years ago, he attempted to kill them off in a raid in a village that they lived in with a branch of the Order. There was much bloodshed that fateful day, but the Earl failed at ridding the world of the Elemental Exorcists. They escaped, though not without cost.

One of them, the Fire Exorcist (they refused to mention his name for some reason), betrayed the other three. This betrayal was very sudden, but it was a clever treachery, and Cross thinks it had been planned for a long time. He attacked the other three and joined the Earl Millennium. The others were shocked, hurt, and remorseful. They could not understand why he would do this. He had been a close comrade and friend for years.

The Fire Exorcist was ordered by the Earl to kill the rest of them. The remaining three decided to split and meet up at a secret location. The Fire Exorcist trailed the Water and Earth Exorcists and defeated them, but luckily, they survived with the help of General Cross. The Air Exorcist was not so fortunate. When the Earl found Kanda hesitating to kill his friend, he did it for him and shot an arrow through the Exorcist's chest, and she fell off the edge of a precipice she was on and landed in a river. The others found her the next day, nearly dead. They revived her to the best of their abilities, but she received permanent brain damage. She had suffered memory loss by hitting her head against a rock when she fell.

Allen was the Water Exorcist. Lavi was the Earth Exorcist. And I was the Air Exorcist. My anti-akuma weapon was the Dark Boots and the _wind_. Komui, devastated at the fate of his little sister, refused to let her stay with the Black Order any longer. Against the warnings of Cross and other generals, he had Hevlaska, the guardian of the Black Order who is able to probe into another's head, create new memories of a normal childhood to fill the void in my memory. This way, when I woke up, I would be a normal teenager who has been living a completely normal life of a human. Then Komui took me away to a remote desert to prevent the akuma from finding me. He thought this would be safer for me, as the Earl would hunt down the Element Exorcist again when he found out they were alive.

This was the reason why I did not recognize these strangers. I have been living a lie for two whole years. I also found out that my parents did not die of a car accident, but by akuma when I was a child. This myriad of information was too much to take in. Half the time I did not understand General Cross's explanations. I was one with the wind. This was the reason why I was always around some. I created the wind involuntarily. But once I knew that I could make it go away, I was able to walk without its feeling on my arms or face. It was weird not feeling any for the first time. It felt almost alien.

When I explained my headaches to the General, he said it was probably because the memories that Hevlaska created for me was beginning to be overridden by my old memories. They may be coming back. I admitted that I had been having recurrent dreams of a village burning. Komui freaked out on me asking why I did not tell him of this.

Komui felt sheepish. He sincerely believed that he could keep me out of danger forever. But New York City is a busy place; a place where everybody comes and goes. It was only a matter of time before some akuma or other sensed me. I understood why Komui had been so anxious and crabby when we moved here. He took great precautions to guard me, and through these efforts I was protected for at least 4 months. But I felt a strange feeling of betrayal myself. How could Komui do this to me? How could he decide my past and my memories for me without my permission? I am still angry at him.

It was definitely a storm outside. Cross seemed unusually worried about this storm. This was that thing he needed to do. He said I was causing it and this was how he found me. A vortex had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and surrounded a central spot in New York City and was following me around. Wow. He said my headaches returning my memories and my distress of late were causing me to create a full-scale storm. And if I didn't get rid of this storm now, it would destroy New York City. No pressure.

I panicked. I had no idea how to do this. But as the Air Exorcist, I had to do it. Before I knew it, I was standing outside with the rest of them, looking at the black, swirling clouds. Lavi gave me advice, as a fellow Element Exorcist. He told me to relax my mind and concentrate on the wind.

"Be alone with the wind. Close your eyes, and simply make it go away. You know you have complete control of this wind, Lena." He said reassuringly. Though it took time, I was able to connect with my element. The storm clouds gradually dissipated and the winds died down. Great. I saved the day. It was all very confusing and difficult to accept. When had the world become so unrecognizable?

The Exorcists offered me a safe house to stay at. It was protected so that our auras were shielded from akuma. Komui accepted. He had no choice. If one akuma had found me, eventually more would. So tomorrow, I am moving into this safe house, funded by the Black Order. Cross said I would receive training there so that I would be able to defend myself from further attacks. I am looking forward to something for once. I am not sure whether I should consider what happened to me this Christmas good or bad.

Right now, I am lying on my bed. It's still raining. The Exorcists have left an hour ago. It all seems like a dream. I don't know what to expect anymore. I am deathly tired. But I decided I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.


	4. Entry 4

_Saturday, December 26. 8:30 p.m. Rainy_

This morning I woke up groggily thinking about a crazy dream I had last night. I had some insane imagination. But dreams like that are welcome in my life. It was extremely vivid. In my dream I was some sort of Exorcist who is supposed to kill bad people. I couldn't remember whether these Exorcists just killed the demons or exorcised them out of possessed humans. Scary. Have you ever watched the movie? My daydreaming was shattered when the General Cross Marian and Allen Walker from my "dream" came knocking at our front door, telling us to pack our things.

My headaches were still there, and they seemed to suddenly strike at this. I wanted to go back to sleep and immerse myself in that dream forever. No such luck.

We packed our small amount of belongings and drove to our new safe home in Komui's car. Honestly, I thought it was going to be located at some really secret base all barred with iron gates and whatnot. But we parked in front of the Grand Central Park. Conspicuous much? I thought this was supposed to be a _hiding_ place.

Well, I got to know my cousin Allen better as we trudged through the more woody section of the gargantuan park. His Innocence was a parasitic type. His left arm can transform into a monstrous claw. Apparently, he was a very distant cousin, but according to him, we used to be close enough to be siblings. Used to be.

I couldn't help but desire my old memories, my experiences, my identity. I thought I had left those behind when I moved to New York from California, but I realized then that I had no idea to what that really meant. I am a stranger to myself. It's a queer feeling, if you know what I mean. You probably don't. But if you do, I feel you.

We arrived in a large clearing in the woods surrounded by scrawny trees that looked as if they would crumble if so much as a sparrow crashed into them.

"Here we are, folks." Cross announced, pointing to one of the trees. He and Allen looked at Komui and I as if expecting awed reactions.

We stared.

"That's a tree." I said. (A bloody withered, decrepit tree).

"Yes...Oh." Allen looked at Cross. "They can't see?"

"Look carefully." Cross explained, "Try to look past the illusion. It's a special precaution we take against the Earl. This is why it's called the safe house. The Earl would never guess we would hide out in such a crowded place as the Central Park in New York City. Humans would look at these trees and see and feel mere—"

I gasped before he could finish. I heard Komui draw in a breath. Komui was always great at inventing things but I could feel he was eager to study these tree houses, or rather, _architecture._

But I saw them. The image of the trees blurred for a second as I concentrated. Then every tree around the edge of the clearing expanded before my eyes, kind of like a balloon blowing up. Each tree had a door, windows, and some even had balconies. The amazing thing was though, that these trees were as wide as our old apartment that we deserted. I gaped, fascinated.

"What do you think?" Cross grinned at Komui. "You cannot make this place out without being told by someone who knows. We are safe from the Earl and his Noahs."

(The Noah Family: superhuman descendants of Noah who can destroy Innocence. They belong to the Earl Millennium)

Komui was speechless. We were led into the main tree "house," which was larger than the others. We stepped in through the door into a circular living room furnished with handsome equipment and accessories. The walls and floor were made of polished wood. There was a circular staircase of glass in the center of the room which extended upward to the second floor and continued downward, descending underground.

Our tour was most gratifying. Underground was a large earthen field larger a football stadium complete with a clear pond, geysers, grass and forests. On the side was the staircase which led to the upper floors. There was a labyrinth of tunnels that connected this field with the rest of the tree houses in the clearing, which were 12 in total. They included a cafeteria, infirmary, guest rooms and a technical/game room. (This game room contained several macs, ipods, a large screen TV hung on the wall, a Wii, XBOX 360, PS3…etc. etc.)

Cross lived on the third floor of the main house and he gave Komui the second floor. He drove Komui mad by stomping on his floor, which was Komui's ceiling. Allen and Lavi shared a tree adjacent to the main house and I got a tree with Miranda on the other side. I settled into my new room on the second floor. Let me tell you before I describe it; it is definitely the most amazing room I have ever seen.

It was also circular with wooden walls and floors. My door was a hole in the floor attached to a circular glass staircase that led to the living room and Miranda's room on the first floor. It came with a round window, balcony and a king sized bed. It even had a walk-in closet stored with expensive clothing. But the best part was the ceiling. The ceiling was a glass dome made entirely of glass. Through it I can see the branches of this tree stretching towards the sky. Right now, I am lying on my bed in the middle of the room, staring at the cloudy sky. I can see each drop of rain roll down the glass. When I questioned Miranda about how this ceiling was possible, she misinterpreted my wonder and said with a laugh, "Oh don't worry. No one can see you from the outside."

I played with my new (and old) friends today. I feel like I've known them all my life, though I just met them, and I really did know them all my life, and…it's really confusing. I wished I could remember them. My past.

Allen and Lavi both brandished their Element skills at me. I watched them train in the underground field. They both controlled their element smoothly and effectively. Nature seemed to be responding to their thoughts rather than their movements or muscle. Allen took some water from the pond and made a rope of water, making it circle around me like a hula hoop. I laughed. Lavi added small rocks that he crafted into smooth marbles and added it to the watery hula hoop. Then they showed me cooler things by creating earthquakes and floods within the field. When the field was messed up, Lavi would put it back to normal again by shifting the earth.

I was impressed. I was going to be able to do things like that soon. Allen told me I used to fly by riding the wind all the time. Now that got me going. I couldn't wait to start training. Training starts next week. Cross will have my Dark Boots brought it from Hevlaska. By dinnertime, all three of us were soaked and filthy. We had a hearty dinner after washing up and now I am preparing to go to sleep after a wearisome day.

I am elated. About everything. Everything from the Exorcists to my new room. It's a different life alright. Never expected it coming, but hey, I'm satisfied right now and that's all that counts. At first, I was hesitant about these people. I didn't know them. For all I knew, this could all be a really good Christmas prank put on by Komui. The thought curdled my blood. I would never forgive him. But I mean, _Exorcists? Akuma? _It seems rather dangerous and risky to me. But there really isn't much I can do about it. It's already happened. Besides, I like my room. These Exorcists are nice and they are providing for us. (Well, the Black Order is, to be precise). But I am looking forward to tomorrow, and that's a change.


	5. Entry 5

_Friday , January 1. 1:42 a.m. Snowy/Rainy/Windy_

General Cross returned from the Main Headquarters with my Dark Boots yesterday. They are so beautiful! When not in use, they turn into black rings on my ankles. They are so light and sturdy. I started my training today. I sparred with Allen and Lavi and General Cross teaches me basic moves and stances and such. But what I mostly have to do is go practice getting used to the boots and mastering its skills on my own. After that, they'll teach me to integrate my innocence with the wind.

Flying must be the most wonderful feeling in the world. The dark boots allow me to fly and I love it. I was surprised to see that I got used to it so quicly. It might be because I already know how to use the innocence, only I cannot remember. When I lift off the ground, there is that first half a second when the gravity is still pulling me to the earth, but after that, I am completely free. The innocence answers to my slightest thoughts and it's cake maneuvering it. (That is, if you are compatible with the innocence). But all in all, flying is so easy! It feels so natural. It's a wonderful feeling to know that the entire expanse of the space between sky and earth is free for me to roam. The downside is, if I fly to fast, the wind gets way too cold and my eyes start tearing up.

Today I was woken up at 5:00 a.m. by a loudspeaker spouting Cross's voice telling me to get the hell up right now. Jeez. And then I was ordered to breathe in through my nose and out through the mouth for a couple minutes. Then I was told to stretch and run a few laps around central park. How brutal is that? I dragged myself back to the hideout sweating my head off when I was pulled into the weight training room next to the field and was told to do the splits. They made me do all these gymnastics stunts and and climb a coarse rope to the ceiling and do handstands until I had no blood circulation in my body because all my blood was in my head. And then I went to the library to have breakfast and study the history of the Exorcists with Miranda. Then I was given a pile of big, leather bound books to read everyday. What is this, school?! I thought training was going to be all fun and games. How very wrong I was.

I had lunch after that. Alfredo pasta with basil. Allen is an amazing cook. Well, his cooking _looks _like dog food, but it tastes delicious. The rest of the day was a bit more exciting. I went into the field and learned basic Tae Kwon Do offense and defense. I feel like I already know what I am learning, I just need reminding. So I got the hang of these pretty quickly.

Then I sparred with Allen and Lavi and they taught me how they control their elements. I have to be one with my element. I am supposed to use my arms and legs to manipulate it and in time, I will be able to instruct it what to do through thought. But Cross said I would not use my element until I mastered my Dark Boots. I also needed to be around my element more. So after dinner, I had to go outside and practice using the Dark Boots for a couple hours. In the snow! At least it isn't difficult. After all, I have mastered it before. It shouldn't be too hard to re-master it.

After all that today, I am totally burnt out. I was supposed to fall asleep an hour ago but I need to get my day down on paper. Tomorrow, (or later today) I have to go running again. I'm just hoping I won't die of physical exertion before the end of the month.

* * *

_Wednesday, January 6. 10:20 p.m. Snowy _

Today, something happened that made me learn to use wind the hard way. After my regular boot camp routine, I was outside flying and quite enjoying myself in the snow during break after history lessons. I had flown all the way to Queens, even though Cross forbid me to. I guess I got what I asked for.

I located a remote forest and draped myself over a tall tree branch to take a rest when I smelled something foul down below. What I saw shocked me into falling out of my tree. Bad move. You see, my tree was surrounded by a horde of akuma. I had only seen akuma in the pictures in the history books. They were much worse in real life. They were large and monstrous and towering over me.

Again, I found myself in a situation in which I was helpless to do anything. I tried to fight, but there were too many of them. The worst part is, akuma like to play with their prey before they destroy it. I won't describe how they pummeled me, but let's just say I have got three broken ribs, a fractured femur, and a broken left elbow, not to mention a bandaged head and limbs. But obviously, I am not dead because I am writing this now. I was rescued by the phantom with wings again. Remember the Barnes & Noble jerk? I hate how he turns up every time I am in trouble. It's totally humiliating. But the difference was that this time, he had to save me from myself.

I was crumpled on the ground, all bloody and broken when I think my adrenaline for survival kicked in. I was so mad at the unfairness of my state that I unleashed a freaking whirlwind before I realized what I was doing. I vaguely remember being on my knees, glaring at the monsters through the blood in my eyes. Then I felt my hair wildly whipping my cheeks, my clothes rustling, and the akuma stepping backwards. I was barely conscious when I sucked the akuma into my cyclone and dismembered them in midair.

But I couldn't control the wind. I would have sucked myself in there if it had not been for the winged phantom boy person. He scooped me up and flew away from the mess before things got worse, and God forbid, the police showed up. I kept going in and out of my consciousness and when I finally came to, I found myself in his arms, really high up in the air, and the sky had darkened.

I freaked out and recklessly pushed myself off him. My boots were not activated and I dropped like a stone.

"Lenalee!" I heard the phantom boy shout.

And then, _SPLASH!_

I sunk into ice cold water before I found the voice to scream. I nearly fainted again. Remember it was January, when lakes are in their freezing states. We were in the middle of crossing over to Manhattan when I decided to fall into the water. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see because the water was so dark. All I could think of was that it was oh so cold. I thought I was going to drown and I started to panic when I felt strong arms securing me and I relaxed. As much as I hated the phantom boy, I owed him my life. We surfaced and I coughed my lungs out.

I looked into the dark eyes of my savior. His black hair was disheveled and dripping with water, and his wings were drenched. He also looked furious.

"Idiot girl! What did you do that for? Do you _want_ to die?!" He shouted.

"Okay, okay, sorry. No need to yell." I managed to choke out. Then I had another coughing fit. How embarrassing. When I got my wits back, I asked the question that had been on my mind since we met.

"Who are you, exactly?" I asked.

"An enemy," He answered after a pause.

"So, why did you save me?"

"Because you were going to suck in the entire city into your whirlwind. Learn to control your powers better!" He scowled.

Woah. The entire city? I hadn't realized the whirlwind was so powerful.

"Then what about just now? You fished me out of the water. I would have died." I asked.

"Can you fly?" He asked, completely ignoring my question, pointing to the rings around my ankles. Now how did he know about my Dark Boots?

"Of course." I answered confidently. "Innocence, activate."

Within seconds, I was hovering uncertainly in the air. I meant to fly away and leave him behind in the water, but unfortunately, my body ran out of fuel. I had forgotten about my broken arm and ribs and such. I dropped back into the cold water before I covered 10 feet. So the phantom boy ended up carrying me back to the city. We landed in the Central Park. I didn't want to bring him this close to the hideout but I took the risk and told him I would meet Allen here.

As if on cue, Allen and Lavi and Cross came bounding out of the forests to see me with the boy. I was practically hanging onto his arm because I couldn't support myself on my fractured leg. Allen's eyes widened until I thought they would pop out of his sockets. Lavi's face crumpled into a snarl. General Cross smoked a cigarette and stared at the boy with intense eyes. What was with this atmosphere?

"Kanda?!" Allen asked in disbelief. "And…Lenalee what happened to you?!" He rushed over and quickly moved me away from the boy.

"What are you doing here, scum?" Lavi growled.

"You know each other?" I was so confused. But that confusion turned to horror when Lavi lunged at him and they started lashing out at each other. Lavi created a spear of ice and would have driven it through the phantom boy's heart if the boy didn't block it with his black swords. I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of those weapons before I snapped back to reality and pulled Lavi off him. I fell on him in the process and moaned in pain when I moved my left arm.

"Lavi, stop it!" I yelled when he tried to pull away. It was the first time I yelled since I got here and I think it surprised him. I took advantage of this pause to try to explain.

"He saved my life! I was attacked by akuma during my flight today. I accidentally unleashed a whirlwind on them but I couldn't control my powers. I would have ended up killing myself if he hadn't intervened. You can't kill him."

Lavi stared at me in shock. "What? You were attacked? But this park should be safe from them! We put up a barrier around it so we could train without those things catching our scent and coming after us!"

"Oh. Well, I was kind of in Queens. I guess that's why—"

"Queens?! What the hell were you doing in Queens Lena?!" Allen's turn to shout.

I sighed. "Look, I'm freezing. Can we talk about this inside?" They fell quiet. General Cross stepped up.

"Thank you for today Kanda." He said quietly. "I hope you never have to do something like that again." Then he left. Allen and Lavi waited until the boy called Kanda turned and flew away into the night without looking back. I avoided eye contact with them until we reached the main house. That name, _Kanda_ sounded so familiar to me. Where had I heard it before?

I had to painstakingly recount the details of my little detour and had to sit through reprimands, yelling, and lectures while Miranda tended to my wounds. Stuff like,

"We told you never to leave the park!"

"It was a bad idea bringing him to Central Park!"

"Why didn't you just fly away? Your speed is not match for akuma!"

"Look at yourself! You could have died!"

I, in turn, tried to ask them how they knew this Kanda, but they would always either change the subject or ignore me. How annoying. What have they got to hide?

Komui actually fainted after seeing me all bloodied up. I felt really bad.

But the good thing is, Cross agreed to start teaching me to use wind as soon as I recovered. He couldn't risk me not being able to control myself again. It could have been catastrophic. And then he told me that cliché, "With great power comes great responsibility,"

I needed to learn more about my element. So I guess something good came out of this. I'm in pain right now, but Allen says Exorcists heal quickly and that I should be fine within a few days. Nice to hear some good news.

* * *

_Hey guys, Lusia here. These are my first 5 fanfics ever. Tell me how I'm doing. Thanks for reading!_


	6. Entry 6

"_You are still young. You do not understand the hearts of humans. Do you seriously believe that they will accept you after what you have done to them?"_

"_It was not me who did anything to them, but you! You think you understand me?"_

"_Remember boy, if you disobey me, you know what will happen to your dear little friends."_

"…_I know more than I want to know."_

_

* * *

_

**_Thursday, January 7. 3:30 pm. Snowy_**

This is _so_ boring! I've been lying in my bed all day. The pain has decreased significantly overnight but I still can't move my body. I've been left alone after I was brought my meals and all I've been doing is thinking. Thinking too much if you ask me. Who is Kanda? Why does everyone know him but me? Well that's obvious, if I do know him, which I think I do, I don't remember him. And my powers flaring so unexpectedly like that yesterday…was that what he was talking about on the day we met?

"_You can't hide forever."_

Hide from akuma? The Earl? Or my own past? Does he know that I don't remember my history? Including him? Perhaps I really don't know him at all. But this feeling…every time I think about him, I feel that cold stab through my chest. It makes me want to cry. It's stupid of me. I wish everyone would just give up the act and tell me about myself already. I feel like an idiot, not knowing me. They don't know what it's like for someone I don't know to know me better than I know myself. I should stop thinking and go to sleep. Self-pity is coming over me. I hate it.

* * *

**_Sunday, January 9. 10:06 pm. Freaking cold. London, England._**

So, Cross up and decided we will be visiting the main headquarters of the Exorcists today. Mind, it is in _Europe_(!) so we left yesterday afternoon and now I'm in my assigned room, a bit disoriented to be honest. I'm feeling much better, though I'm still very sore and I have a bit of a limp. If I put too much pressure on my legs, it _hurts._ I think I exercised the dark boots too much in addition to the beating I received. My legs are incredibly sore and a bit numb, and not just because of the fractured part. That part as healed already. It was the overexertion of power from my Innocence. I have a feeling this will bother me for a while.

Anyway, we flew to the main headquarters on a hovercraft. It is extremely fast and beautiful and I did not realize technology had come so far. Apparently, my brother invented it. It was pure white and oval-shaped with a clear dome. Sleek and powerful, it had to be much faster than those clunky airplanes. He was going technical during the entire flight, describing the internal structure of the hovercraft. We were seriously considering shoving him off. The headquarters building reminded me of a giant version of The Leaning Tower of Pisa, on top of The Leaning Tower of Extremely Tall and Skinny Piece of Cliff. It looked a bit dangerous. I was afraid that our landing would shift the weight of the cliff to one side and it would topple. Plus, there were these strange one-eyed bat-looking creatures swarming the area surrounding the tower. Cross assured me that the place was quite safe, though I wasn't too sure.

We were greeted by a giant head on the gates which freaked the daylights out of me and were welcomed like family. Komui was especially hailed. He used to be the Chief Officer of the Black Order before he took me to California. I could tell in his eyes that he really missed being Supervisor. But through all the happiness, I could sense there was something of concern that was being communicated without words between everyone. Everyone except for me, of course.

Like I thought, there was bad news. Some guy named Malcolm Rouvelier was the new Supervisor, and everyone hated him. I disliked him at once when I saw the look he gave me when we gathered in the conference room. I probably didn't like him in my past life either. He reminded me of Hitler. But that wasn't all. We discovered that the Earl is building an army of developed akuma of level 3 and up. That means akuma that are stronger than the current akuma. What is worse is that the Earl was looking for strong Exorcists to recruit. This was horrifying news. But we don't know what the army was for. Cross was called in for help with observation and the support of the Exorcists. We weren't exactly needed before this situation.

I also found out that to Rouvelier, Exorcists are merely tools: weapons for destroying akuma and keeping a reputation. Now that Komui was back, the other chiefs tried to get him back on his seat, but Rouvelier argued, saying that Komui abandoned them when they needed him most. Komui also agreed that he did not deserve to be Supervisor anymore.

I was treated like some princess here at the headquarters. Everyone greeted me by name and the best I could do was smile and say "Hi." It made me sad that I could not remember these people. I was waited on and was given feasts that could feed multiple people just for me, and was introduced to countless people who already knew me, like Reever, Link and Bak, who broke out in hives when he saw me. Strange people.

I spent a few hours flying in the night sky of London. I have always wanted to visit, although via a cruise or a vacation or something, not because of an Exorcist conference. We will be staying here for a few weeks for surveillance and protection. I will resume training tomorrow. It turns out that they have an even better training field here at the main headquarters!

* * *

**_Monday, January 10. 11:49 pm. Snowy. Main Headquarters  
_**

"UP AND AT 'EM LENALEE LI! 10 LAPS AROUND THE TRACK FIELD NOOOOWWW!" was what I woke up to at 5:00 in the morning. You envy me, I know. I was still sore too, but Cross didn't cut me any slack. After lunch, I took a break and flew up to the roof to enjoy a nice snowy view and refresh myself. I was surprised to find Allen gazing out into the mountains behind the tower. I decided I wanted to sneak up and scare him when he looked up and smiled. I landed lightly beside him.

" Looks like you're getting pretty used to your Innocence." Allen commented.

"Yeah. I have no problems with it anymore. Actually, I don't think I ever did. It came rather naturally." I replied.

"It should. You look beat. Cross's training regime?" He guessed.

"No. Cross's training boot camp." I said bitterly. Allen laughed. It was the loveliest sound I had heard all week and it made me laugh too. I realized I hadn't done that in a while. It felt really good. I wondered if our relationship could become as close as it used to be. Or so I've heard.

"Lenalee," Allen said suddenly, holding up one of those one-eyed bats, only his was golden. "Meet Timcanpy. Tim, Lenalee."

"Hello, Timcanpy." I smiled, taking the thing in my hands and I swear it snuggled. It was so delicate and adorable and should never have been described as a "bat-looking creature." It kind of looks like the golden snitch from Harry Potter, with a tail and a design of a cross where its face should have been.

"He's so cute. But…what is he?" I asked.

"He's a golem. He can record and replay events that he sees and can also become a tracking device. General Cross gave him to me." Allen said. "He's been staying at the London Headquarters while I was in New York."

"Why were you guys in New York?" I asked, letting Timcanpy fly.

"Well, we were mostly looking for you, but out of all the headquarters, it is probably the newest, and the safest. We had a feeling you would turn up in New York City one day or another if Komui took you to America."

"And I'm glad I did."

"You don't resent us?" He asked hesitantly.

"What?" I exclaimed, a bit taken aback. "Why would I resent you? This is probably the best thing that could have happened to me! Do…do all of you think I don't like what has happened? That I feel remorseful I was ever pulled into this?"

Allen couldn't meet my eyes. I looked straight at him and said, "Allen Walker. I really would have resented you if you guys had left me in my ignorance. This is my identity! I can't just ignore my past, it is what makes me who I am, and I…I don't know it. I don't know who I am." A lump formed in my throat as I voiced what I've been keeping to myself. Allen grabbed my shoulders and slightly shook me.

"But you do! You are Lenalee Li, you are the Wind Exorcist and you are my friend. No matter how bad your amnesia is, you cannot forget who you are. No one knows you better than yourself. You think you don't know you, but it is the world that doesn't know you. The past is the past, Lena. Don't think about it. What matters is the present and only the present. You don't know your past, but you don't know your future either. The only thing you are sure of is right now. Believe in yourself and everything is going to be alright." And then Allen hugged me. My cheeks were streaked with tears by then but I didn't care. And right then, on top of that roof, something struck a chord and my headaches revived with a pang.

"Ow-!" I cried out and slumped onto my knees, holding my head.

"Lena? Lena are you okay?"

Allen's voice was far away, my vision was blurring. The headaches were worse than usual this time and through my tears, I could see this roof again, but Allen was gone. In his place was the mysterious boy, Kanda. He was smiling and it looked so foreign yet beautiful on his face that I would have smiled had it not been for the headaches. The vision blurred again and I saw Allen, Lavi, Kanda and I training here at the main headquarters. Allen smacked Kanda with a watery whip and Kanda was yelling and Lavi and I were laughing. And then Komui and I were eating dinner together and I was complaining about his cooking. Then that familiar scene again. I was hovering over a great city in ruins under a dark moon. Dead bodies were scattered over the ground, flames were consuming trees and buildings and in the distance was Kanda with his swords. Behind him was the Millennium Earl with a golden arrow on a bow pointed at my heart.

I woke up with a start. It was dark and I turned on the lamp to find that I was back in my room. The light hurt my eyes and I turned it off. I started to lay back down when I noticed Allen and Lavi sprawled on the floor and Komui on my couch, snoring. I smiled. They were here for me—they always were. I am not alone. I know who I am. I am a friend, and these people are important to me.

* * *

_Sorry I was dead for a while. _

_Anyway, hope it came out alright. I was a bit disoriented because I forgot what I wrote before and almost ended up repeating a bunch of stuff. _

_Input is appreciated:)_


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